Deconstruct
by Mah-BlackberrehSoS
Summary: War looms on the horizon. Ace, one of the last of his species, is prepared to defend his friends and family until his very last breath - and when someone who'd saved him in the past appears and asks for help, Ace realises that there are things that are a lot more important than war and revenge, and sometimes even monsters deserve to be loved. Ace/Luffy, Fantasy AU
1. The Intruders

**AN:** And here we are guys, the first chapter of the long awaited Deconstruct, my major fantasy Ace/Luffy story~ Truthfully, I have no idea where I'm going with it – I only have the vague

outlines of a plot in mind, but a dozen or so origin stories planned out.

I'm also gonna mention this now – there's gonna be some Law/Kid and Crocodile/Doflamingo in the future as well!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! Any feedback would be wonderful~

ALSO! Big thank you to **The Red Harlequin On The Luna** for betaing!

**-one-**

**-The Intruders-**

_The sky was split open by a sword of blinding yellow light, and Ace was left standing in fear and awe._

_They'd been found. The war had finally reached them._

_Humans and half-bloods alike were running and screaming, some trying to maintain order, but the majority trying to find an escape from the city they'd made their home for decades. The scent of blood was nearly overpowering - even from so far away it reached Ace, and he had to reign in his inner fire before he gave himself away._

_Though in this chaos... he doubted he would be noticed._

_He tightened his grip on the tiny hand in his own. The little boy beside him was putting on a brave front, but his body racked with shivers and tears leaked a steady trail down his cheeks. Ace bit his lip, wishing he had some way to comfort the boy, but there wasn't anything he could do._

_Words were meaningless. They'd known this day would come._

_The scent of magic suddenly swept away the blood, a heavy layer of ozone settled - it made every hair on Ace's body stand to attention. The sounds of the panicked people died down, and everyone froze in their tracks, caught in the haze. He felt a fog cover his mind and his lids grew heavy, and when he realized what was happening he forced his eyes open wide, a sense of dread curling in his stomach._

_He barely had time to pull the boy into his arms and press him against the wall, protecting him with his body as well as he could when the explosion rent the air._

_It was fire and heat and light._

_He felt his skin burning, the scent of cooked flesh pungent, causing him to gag. He held the little boy in his arms as tightly as he could, even as they shook with pain, because if he didn't then the boy would die, and Ace would be left with nothing._

_Again._

_He coughed as the air cleared and fell to his knees, taking the small body with him. It was eerily silent, and Ace started to panic as he pushed the boy away so he could see him properly._

_"Luffy?" He whispered. "Come on Luffy, don't do this to me, come on..." _

_The little boy - Luffy - stared at Ace with shocked eyes. There was a large cut on his face, just under his left eye, from where a piece of shrapnel had him hit him; but other than that there were only a few minor burns and bruises._

_Tentatively, Luffy reached out a hand and placed it on the elder boy's shoulder. "A-Ace, you're back..."_

_"It's fine," he said dismissively. "Come on, we need to get out of here."_

_Without giving Luffy a chance to protest, Ace picked him up once again, and turned to face the decimated street. Burnt corpses littered the ground, from those who were unfortunate enough not to have gotten away. Many of the buildings were completely destroyed, with only the barest foundations left standing, and Ace realized just how lucky he was that they had been a... relatively safe distance away from the source of the explosion._

_There was the distant sound of shouting, harsh and in a language Ace didn't know, and it sent terror striking through his heart._

_The pain was the last thing on his mind. He had to get them away from here before Mariejois' forces found them. He'd already seen enough death in his young life - he wouldn't be able to bear it if they were caught and Luffy was taken from him._

* * *

Grey eyes shifted as the sounds of the forest filled his ears - the rustling of leaves as the wind blew through the branches, the foraging of the lesser creatures, and the songs of the many birds that made the forest their home.

It was peaceful. Ace could admit that much.

But damn he was bored.

He kneaded his claws into the soft undergrowth and rustled his wings, causing drops of dew to splatter the damp grass beneath him. Although it was spring, the mornings still held Winter's last, lingering cold. Ace didn't mind that - it took a lot to make him feel even the slightest chill, his inner fire enough to chase away all but the most frigid temperatures.

He yawned loudly and cracked his jaw, running his tongue over sharp teeth. He was hungry, and wondered if it was actually worth moving to hunt down some poor creature, or wait until one was stupid enough to wander past.

The sound of beating wings decided for him.

Giving a serpentine grin, Ace stood on all fours and backed further into the shade of the giant oak tree he had chosen to rest under the night before. His tail whipped behind him, accidentally scraping off some of the bark and he unfurled his wings slightly.

By the sounds of it, it was a large bird, or maybe one of those irritating - but very tasty - winged monkeys that had set up their territory somewhere nearby. Either way, Ace wasn't complaining. Food was food after all.

But when he finally caught sight of the approaching creature, all hopes of an easy meal died.

It was a large bird alright, but one that he couldn't eat. Not that he hadn't tried in the past, but Marco could be very nasty if provoked - Ace learned the hard way that phoenix fire could consume his own easily, even if it didn't burn flesh and scale unless Marco himself wanted it to.

The blue fire was a beautiful sight though.

With an irritated grumble, Ace slunk out of the shadows and Marco zeroed in on him. With several beats of fiery blue wings, the giant bird landed on a branch just above his head. Ace sat back on his haunches and stretched out his neck, coming face to face with the large phoenix.

Lazy blue eyes stared back at him, and Marco's beak clacked. "We have intruders crossing the border."

Now that interested Ace. The dragon bared his teeth in a grin and he stretched out his wings, getting the blood flowing. "I take it Pops wants me to take care of them?"

Boredom had been clinging to him a lot lately - if he was to take care of these intruders, then maybe he'd get a good meal as well as some entertainment out of the deal. It wasn't often they got intruders - these days, the other territories had learned that the Mountain King's borders were not to be crossed, because if they were and it was done with ill intent... Well, the 'intruders' would become the meal of whatever creature they happened across first.

But Marco shook his head. "No - Pops said they're important, and he wants you to escort them to the Hall. They're to the east of here, on one of the old trails. You should be able to easily capture their scents."

Ace wilted in disappointment but nodded obediently. Marco leapt off the branch and into the air once again, making sure the long gold and blue feathers of his tail brushed Ace as he passed. Huffing, the dragon fell back onto all fours and started stalking through the trees until he reached a clearing.

Golden sunlight reflected off his black and red scales and Ace allowed himself to bask in it -just for a moment. Maybe when all was said and done, the intruders dealt with and his stomach full, he'd find a nice, flat rock and relax in the heat. There were enough of them around for that at least.

He flared his nostrils, and breathed in heavily, catching the faint sent of  
something... new.

Yet familiar.

He shook his head and stretched his wings, and, with a great leap, he was in the air.

The blue sky spread vast before him, the sun close to reaching its peak and nary a cloud in sight. It was a pity he wouldn't be able to start lazing around straight away - it was a beautiful day - but when Pops said you had to do something, you did it.

He withheld the growl in his throat, knowing that if he released it then there was a chance the echo may spread throughout the valley, and he didn't want to alert the 'guests' to his presence just yet.

He remained close to the treetops, moving swiftly. The wind was on his side, and soon nothing but rock and uneven slopes fell before him. It took but a second for him to locate which of the old trails to follow, the intruder's scent getting particularly strong with the more ground he gained.

It seemed they were still relatively close to the border. Far enough inland that Ace wasn't forced to land, and he had to be thankful for that because this offered the perfect chance to intimidate them. The closer he got to the border and away from the forest, the more risky flying became; there were spies everywhere after all, and the Old Man had been adamant about Ace keeping himself hidden. Or to at least disguise himself in his human form - there were few that were able to distinguish the difference between Shifters and humans.

He kept to the air for a few more minutes, before he crested over another hill and caught sight of them.

There were two - from this distance, his sharp eyes could make out they were human in appearance, but that didn't really amount for much. They could be Shifters or magic weavers for all he knew, able to disguise their true form, just like he could.

One was male, and the other was female. Both with dark hair and tanned skin, showing that they were certainly used to moving about in the sunlight, despite what their finely made, brightly coloured clothing told him. The woman was beautiful, dressed in dark leggings and a tightly fitting tunic, adorned with swirling patterns that Ace's keen eyes were able to trace easily.

The man was dressed much more simply, but with the same high quality fabrics. Yet strangely, he had a straw hat on his head - such wear is typically used by common folk - which these two were clearly not. He was younger though - probably not yet out of his teens, with a long healed scar underneath one of his large eyes. The red, long sleeved shirt he wore left his chest bare, framing a large scar that marred his skin.

It ignited Ace's curiosity. No human - or creature - could survive such a devastating wound.

When they noticed him, the man let out a loud yell and waved his fists in the air, obviously trying to catch Ace's attention.

How... interesting.

They seemed to believe that Ace wouldn't tear them limb from limb. It irritated him that he wasn't able to do just that.

Ace took in a deep lungful of air, making sure not to call upon his inner fire, and let out a mighty roar. The sound echoed loudly, reverberating around the rocks, and the intruders covered their ears. Dust and rocks scattered in the wind as he circled above their heads, and with a growl he settled down in front of them.

His claws dug into the gravel, dirtying his scales, but he paid it no mind.

He stood on all fours, wings half-folded, and his tail whipping behind him - his stance clearly showed that he was not here for a simple, friendly chat.

Ace huffed, sending a waft of hot breath in their direction, and he bared his teeth in a snarl. The female was staring up at him with awe and a slight twinge of fear, while the male was firm... certainly not afraid, if the large grin on his face was anything to go by.

And that scent... he knew it. It tugged at his mind, trying to draw forth a memory that just would not come. He forced it back, and focused burning silver eyes on them.

"What is your business here, outsiders?" He growled in the common tongue.

His voice was rough and deep. "Speak, now."

It was the woman who spoke first.

"Oh great winged one," she said boldly as she swept into a deep bow. She spoke in the common tongue as well, though she had a strange, cultured accent that Ace couldn't recall having heard before. "Please forgive our transgressions, but we are in dire need. We require an audience with the Mountain King, and we beg that you guide us to him."

She remained in her bowed position, but after a moment she threw a glance to the man - well, boy really, because he looked to be barely of age - and he gave a start before sweeping into a bow that mimicked hers. After a few moments of not moving, Ace let out a surprised snort.

They had manners at least. And he was never one to dismiss a polite greeting or request.

Even if they were intruders.

He folded his wings and relaxed his posture, then dipped his own head in acknowledgment. The woman seemed to take this as a sign that they weren't going to be attacked, and she straightened slowly, keeping her eyes respectfully on the ground. The boy however bounced on the balls of his feet; he looked like he wanted to speak, but he was visibly holding himself back.

He was looking at Ace with large, dark eyes.

There was something about those eyes that pulled at that same memory, just like the scent did. He narrowed his eyes and stretched his neck out to the boy, stopping a scant few inches away, and inhaled deeply.

The familiar scent filled his lungs - one of sunshine and freedom, and the faint traces of... meat.

The dragon drew his head back and snapped his teeth in irritation. It was not good to be distracted from the matter at hand. Once again looking at the woman, he rumbled, "If you seek an audience with the Mountain King then you risk a great deal, coming here by yourselves. Surely you know of the dangers?"

The woman nodded, her face a mask of calm. "We know very well of the dangers that crossing into one of the Emperor's territories without an invitation can bring. However, as I stated before, we are in dire need. Surely you have heard of the current state of the world?"

Ace gave a derisive snort. "I care not about the affairs of the world beyond these mountains, woman. But I will take you to the Old Man, merely because he requested I bring you to him unharmed." He glared down at them. "Consider yourselves honoured."

He turned around and made to stalk away - he'd have to walk them to the Hall, because the thought of flying them there on his own back made him want to cringe in disgust; he was not some obedient, tamed beast - when the boy said something.

"Hey, wait! Ace!"

He froze, muscles tense. The only ones who called him by that name were those amongst the Mountain King's court - his true name had been lost... many years ago, and that name had been given to him by...

He moved faster than a human eye would have been able to see. The boy was pinned beneath his talons, pressed harshly into the ground, and Ace loomed above him, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl and his inner fire stirring. "_How do you know that name?!_"

The young boy stared at him with large knowing eyes, devoid of any kind of fear. They rubbed Ace the wrong way. With a loud, irritated growl, the dragon pressed the boy down into the ground, not caring about how much pressure he applied.

The woman had cried out the boy's name when Ace struck, having moved into a strange fighting stance that looked more like the beginnings of a dance than actual combat, but the boy barked out for her to stop - to let him deal with it.

But Ace was frozen. The boy's name rung clearly in his mind, bringing with it a torrent of memories that had been buried in the deepest corners of his psyche. He'd done his best never to think about them, because all they brought was pain and hopelessness and loss.

He remembered his failure.

_Luffy..._

That little boy... his little brother...

_It had to be a mistake._

He stretched his head forward and inhaled that familiar scent - he recognized it now, only it was stronger, more potent than it used to be. It hadn't really changed at all... But this close to the source he could now detect the undercurrent of blood and violence, and fire and magic.

_Luffy..._

He wrenched his head back focused on the boy with his sight, tracing that matured face almost reverently, staring into those eyes, taking in the scar under the left eye.

He smelled like Luffy. He... looked like Luffy.

And then the boy grinned - the smile one of almost child-like happiness, and he said, "Do you remember me now?"

**TBC**

**AN:** Soooo what does everyone think? I did a cover for this as well as a bunch of concept art sketches and they can be seen on my tumblr – the link is in my profile~

Reviews would be wonderful~!


	2. Reunion

**AN:** Aaah sorry for the long wait, For the past few weeks I've just had this major creativity block and I could even draw, let alone write But I managed with this chapter, though it was a struggle. And it's shorter than the first chapter, but eh.

Anyways, I just wanna thank everyone who has reviewed, favourite and followed! I'm glad you're all interested in this story!

And thanks again to **The Red Harlequin on the Luna** for betaing this chapter~

**-two-**

**-Reunion-**

_He moved swiftly through the rubble, making sure to keep Luffy close to his side, helping him when he tripped. The little boy was unnaturally quiet, but every few moments Ace could hear his breath hitch in a sob._

_It made Ace's heart ache. But he couldn't stop to comfort him; he had to __get them out of the city before Mariejois' forces stormed the streets. If they were found, they would either be killed or imprisoned as the pets of the Tenryuubito – the World Nobles._

_Those scum of the earth, stealing a name that does not belong to them. It made Ace's blood boil and his inner fire rage._

_Death was preferable to becoming their pets. But if he could, Ace would __choose neither option. He didn't want to die, not anymore at least, because he had Luffy to take care of, and Luffy was his Light._

_He paused, the sound of marching feet reaching his keen ears, and Ace __pulled Luffy behind a crumbling wall. He covered the boy's mouth with his hand and drew him close to his chest, making soft, comforting noises to try and calm him down. The marching feet came closer, and he clenched his eyes shut, praying to whichever of the Gods that would listen that they would not be discovered._

_There was a harsh voice, growling out orders in that strange dialect, and Ace sucked in a deep breath._

_Minutes passed, and his heart continued to race, before finally, the __soldiers were completely gone from his hearing range. He allowed himself to relax minutely and his breathing to even out._

_"Ace…?"_

_He looked down into Luffy's big terrified eyes and smiled in what was __hopefully a reassuring manner. "It – it's alright, Lu. We'll get out of here, I promise."_

_The younger boy nodded tearfully and sniffed, and Ace reached out to run __his hand through that soft, dark hair. "Hey, listen – you have to be brave for me, ok? I'm going to protect you."_

_Luffy nodded again, and he gave a shaky smile. Ace took his brother's hand in his own once more, and then they were off._

_They raced through the streets, dodging debris and fallen bodies. They __moved for what felt like hours, until they finally reached the southern edge of the city. A majority of the buildings were intact, but there was no-one around – no humans, and certainly no half-bloods._

Mariejois' soldiers must… must have already cleaned out the area.

_It caused panic to grow in the depths of his stomach, because this area –__this was where Sabo used to live, and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, Ace forgot that Sabo was gone._

_ But then he remembered not a second later. Sabo was dead. He'd been dead for years, so there's no way he would have been taken by the soldiers, and Ace had to shove painful memories to the back of his mind._

_They were almost out of the city. They were almost free._

_But then – a figure blocked their path._

_Ace's eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back into a snarl, while he pulled __Luffy behind him to shield him with his body. He was ready to fight if need be, but it was the last resort. When it came down to it, running was the only optioned that would ensure their safety. And Ace was ready to shift and carry Luffy away on his back and leave everything behind._

_But to do that without being seen, they had to get out of the city._

* * *

Ace backpedalled wildly, kicking up dust and breathing heavily. The kid – _Luffy, it really was Luffy_ – pushed himself up and dusted himself off, adjusting the straw-hat on his head. He was still smiling at Ace, dark eyes shining with an emotion that he couldn't identify.

Ace's body shifted – the bones, muscles and organs began to creak and shrink, and in the end he was left standing in his human-like form. He stumbled, completely naked, his wings and tail causing him to overbalance – because when was the last time he walked on two legs? He couldn't remember – and moved towards Luffy without much thought.

In this form he was a few inches taller than the boy, and he used that to his advantage.

He crushed Luffy against him in an iron grip; his arms wrapped firmly around his shoulders and buried his face in his neck inhaling the familiar, almost forgotten scent.

Luffy giggled, wrapping himself around his older brother as tightly as he could manage, "Ace!"

The dragon's weight proved to be too much once the younger brunette had his legs circling Ace's waist as well, and the pair toppled over in a pile of gangly limbs and laughter, mostly from the boy. His mirth was infectious though, and the fire drake soon found himself shaking with suppressed joy the likes of which he hadn't felt in a _very_ long time.

Ace landed on his side, one of his wings cushioning his and Luffy's fall, and after a moment, he hugged the boy even closer. His horns almost stabbed into the boy's head, and his claws may have drawn blood – but there were no complaints from Luffy. All he did was let out a joyful laugh, and pressed his face into the dragon's neck, his grip never wavering.

"You're alive." Ace whispered, voice coloured with shock. The dragon pulled back, just far enough to grip Luffy's face with taloned hands, his gaze darting over the boy's face – taking in the years of maturity that Ace had missed. He couldn't believe he hadn't recognized him straight away… The soft pad of his thumb brushed across the scar under his eye. "You – you survived…"

Luffy's eyes were shining with happiness. "Yeah. So did you."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Ace whispered, "How…?"

The boy's smile dimmed, a dark shadow appearing in his eyes – a shadow that had _no business_ being there – and he placed a hand on his chest. On that scar.

One that almost mirrored the scar on Ace's own chest. One that had been hidden by the overlapping scales that covered his breast in his natural form, but now – in his half-human form – was bare for the world to see.

Luffy opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

The woman's voice called out to them. "Forgive my interruption, Luffy…? But there are pressing matters that need to be addressed."

She stood a few feet away, a smile on her face and body seemingly relaxed – but Ace could see the tense lines around her eyes, and the way her fingers twitched minutely. The dragon's human lips twitched into a smirk. He fluidly moved to his feet, tail whipping behind him for balance, and he pulled Luffy with him.

Keeping one hand firmly on his shoulder, the dragon tilted his head, gazing at the woman in consideration.

Ace wanted nothing more than to demand answers from Luffy – what had happened when they'd separated, what he'd been doing for the past ten years, _what he was doing here, how he had survived_-

He was overjoyed – that day in the Goa kingdom… he thought he'd lost Luffy...

He needed to know what had happened.

But not yet. He had to wait. The dragon had to follow Whitebeard's orders and bring them to him.

"Pressing matters." Ace sniffed. He was about to say a rather scathing comment before Luffy grabbed at his hand and dragged him forward, towards the dark haired woman. The straw hat that had fallen off during the tumble was scooped up along the way. That caused the dragon to overbalance once again – Luffy had gotten a lot stronger over the years, to be able to actually pull him along… and Ace noticed something else.

Luffy was a half-blood. He could feel it in the way that his skin buzzed with magic when pressed against Luffy's own, and the slightly pointed ears were an obvious physical give away. Depending on who the half-blood in question's parentage is, half-bloods usually developed the ability to use magic or gained strange abilities.

Ace had always had his suspicions, but they had never been cemented. Luffy's parents were unknown, so there was no way to tell whether one was a magical being and one was a human. Luffy had been born with elastic skin - he could stretch his body to inhuman lengths – but there had never been any spark of magic that would confirm his status. And stretching – even as far as Luffy could – was a rather useless ability.

_Hmm. More questions. Looks like you've grown up, Luffy…_

"Robin!" Luffy began. "This is my brother, Ace!"

That statement obviously caught the woman – Robin off guard, though she hid her shock with relative ease. "Your brother?" She blinked intelligent blue eyes at the dragon. "I… see. I was unaware you had a brother."

"Mmh! 'Cause I never told anyone." Luffy swung his and Ace's hands, the half-blood's grip never loosening. "But you know now!"

Robin smiled sweetly. "Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you Ace."

She moved forward, just a little closer, raising her hand in greeting – and a sudden putrid stench filled the dragons nostrils, and it caused the scaled plates and spines that covered his back to rattle. The scent had been masked by Luffy's own potent one, but now that Ace was closer…

The fire drake drew back with a feral snarl, tugging Luffy with him.

"Ace – what-?" His brother yelped, but Ace cut him off with a rumbling growl.

"_Demon!_" He hissed, his inner fire raging, stirred by the instinct that demanded he dispose of the threat. "_You have no business in these lands, be gone before I dispose of you myself!"_

Robin's lips thinned and her eyes had grown cold. She raised her hands in a placating manner and said firmly, "I mean no harm to you or your kin, and I _do_ have business here. I am no threat to you, great one."

Luffy had tugged his hand from Ace's tight grip while the demon spoke, and he was quickly in Ace's face. One hand stretched up to grip one of Ace's curved horns and Luffy tugged on it, drawing Ace's attention to his brother's stern eyes.

"Robin won't hurt anyone." The half-blood said with an absolute finality. "Robin's nakama."

Ace growled again. "She's a _demon._ Demons are not to be trusted!"

"She's nakama." Luffy repeated. "Nakama don't hurt nakama."

The dragon ground his teeth together. Demons were deceitful creatures that manipulated and killed without remorse. They were savage, bloodthirsty, and most of all, _not to be trusted_. Ace had encountered demons before – and he would never forget that encounter. He had barely managed to escape with his life. As it was…

He shifted his eyes from Luffy to the demon once again.

Robin still had her hands raised, her expression neutral. "I will not raise a hand against you or any other inhabitant of the Mountain King's territory, unless it is in my own or Luffy's defence." Slowly, she moved one of her hands, very aware of Ace's keen stare, and traced a symbol over her chest. A small, glowing cross appeared, embedded in the skin. "You have my word. Cross my hearts."

The dragon exhaled loudly, eyes narrowed. Vows that were made with magic there impossible to break, even for a demon.

Slowly, he relaxed his muscles and moved his gaze back to Luffy.

Why was he calling a demon a friend?

_Yet more questions_.

"…Very well." Ace murmured. "Time to address these 'pressing matters' then, yes?"

He drew back from the both of them, tugging his horn from Luffy's grasp, and eyed them.

"I'll take you to Whitebeard," Ace said, finally. "But only because he's already expecting you, and asked that I show you the way."

He flared his wings and turned on his heel. Flying _would_ have been a great deal easier and quicker, but the dragon was standing by what he'd said before. Luffy, he would let on his back. But not this Robin woman, because even though Luffy trusted her – even though she had given her word – the scent of demon that clung to her caused a chill to sweep down his spine.

_Never trust a demon_.

But… he trusted Luffy's word enough to turn his back on her...

"Follow me." He called to them over his shoulder. "It's a long walk, but I know the short, less dangerous paths. Just make sure you stick close."

He gave a grin that was all sharp, dangerous teeth. "If you wander off the path then you're fair game."

Luffy – the stern, serious expression that had been so out of place on his face – was now gone; melted away to be replaced by that blinding grin and he briefly turned to speak to Robin. Ace payed no attention to the words.

It was clear to him that the demon followed Luffy – 'in my own or Luffy's defence' she had worded into the vow – so that eased him somewhat.

But still. All he wanted was to take Luffy and fly away to… anywhere. Somewhere secluded, where they would not be bothered. So they could talk.

He'd missed Luffy so much. That he'd managed to survive the attack… it filled Ace's scarred heart with joy.

Ace had his Light back.

**AN: **Hopefully chapter 3 will be out a lot sooner than this was xD

Review and tell me what you think~


	3. A Change in the Air

**AN: **Here you go guys! I have to say that there's not much interesting in this chapter because it provides a set up for the next one where a lot of stuff will be explained.

Anyways, thank you guys for all you're support! If you want updates and previews and art, follow me on tumblr – link is in my profile~

Also, thank you to Harle for betaing again!

**-three-**

**-A Change in the Air-**

_The figure appeared to be extremely tall, humanoid in appearance. Ace forced his eyes to __adjust in the blackness, but it was almost as if there was an… absence of light, emanating from the figure itself._

"_Children?" The figure mused, his voice strangely lilting, seemingly speaking to itself. "What are children still doing here? I thought they'd all been cleared out before…"_

"_Who are you?" Ace called out angrily. "Let us pass or I'll-"_

"_Or you'll what?" Suddenly, the shadowed figure was before them – more like looming above them, and a startled noise escaped the dragon in human form._

_Ace staggered backwards, Luffy shoved behind him, and growled lowly. _

_The shadowed figure let out a low chuckle. When they spoke, their voice was a masculine drawl. "You wish to get past me? Then go. I have no business in hurting children."_

_Ace gave a surprised blink, his grasp on Luffy's hand never loosening. "… really?"_

_The shadowed figure made no further reply and made to move passed Ace. But then, he just stopped. _

_Ace was frozen, feeling some sort of latent instinct inside of him scream at him to run. The man was old – very, very old, much older than Ace's own two-hundred years – and the dragon knew that if it came down to it, he wouldn't stand a chance._

Come on, move, _his mind hissed. _Move! Take Luffy and run!

_The little boy was quivering beside him, trying to keep up a brave front, but the dragon's body just – wasn't – moving – _

"_Get out of here. Now." The shadowed figure said, an undercurrent of steal to his words. _

_He moved passed Ace, and the dragon in human form whirled around, Luffy clinging to his side, so he didn't have his back to the figure._

_And – they were no longer alone. _

_Several metres away, in the middle of the cobble road, stood another large, humanoid figure. Unlike the shadowed figure, Ace's keen eyes could easily make out the newcomer._

_It was a man, dressed in a mass of ornate grey armour that clearly bore the mark of Mariejois, just the same as the soldiers Ace had been so desperately trying to hide from. But there was something… different about this soldier._

_Unlike the others, he wore a deep crimson cloak, with a hood that shadowed his face. He had no visible weapons on him either, and carried himself with his arms crossed over his chest._

_Like he was waiting._

_Ace didn't like this at all. With this man came such a – repulsive aura, and a rotten stench that reminded him of death; it made his skin crawl and hair stand up on end. He needed to get out of there, away from the danger that had just presented itself._

"_I know you're there Borsalino." The newcomer spoke. There was no inflection in his voice, it was just… flat. "You should know that you can't keep yourself hidden from me."_

_There was a loud scoff that came from the shadowed figure. "Honestly Sakazuki, I wasn't even trying. I could have easily hidden myself from you – you're so blinded by the Tenryuubito and their beliefs it's a wonder you can even see your own hands when you hold them out in front of you."  
_

_There was a blinding flash of yellow light and Ace flinched back, and Luffy let out a loud gasp. That light was exactly like the one they'd seen before the first explosion, and now – now Ace realised what it had been._

_A warning._

_The shadows had melted away to reveal a man who was bathed in a soft yellow light. He wore the same armour as the other man – only the cloak he wore was yellow. Pointed ears adorned with golden hoops, strange orange eye-glasses – and the mark of Mariejois had been scratched out. Ace knew instantly that this man was not human – though whether he was a half-blood or a full-blooded creature, it was hard to tell. _

"_It is you who is blind, Borsalino." 'Sakazuki' spoke, voice void of emotion. "The Tenryuubito are the ones who will lead us into a golden age, and if by doing so we must eradicate the scum of the earth, then I will gladly do so."_

_A loud, amused laugh came from the one that was called Borsalino. "And that means me as well. Or have you forgotten these?" He tapped his pointed ears. "I am a high-blood elf, Sakazuki. And I will not be killed so easily. I've sit by for too long and allowed my life and the lives of my people to be dictated by those 'divine' shit stains._

"… _And that includes the lives of other creatures as well. We've already lost so many ancient races. I will not let my people join their ranks."_

_Standing seemingly relaxed, his hands shoved into pockets of his pants, Borsalino tilted his head slightly, catching Ace's eye. "I told you to get out of here. So run." _

_Ace didn't need to be told again. Still holding onto Luffy, he turned to run._

_But he only got a few more steps before something knocked Luffy down, causing the dragon to stumble. His hand was knocked from Ace's grasp and the dragon cried out in shock as a burning hot hand enclosed around the back of his neck, lifting him high into the air._

_A foul stench invaded his nostrils and filled his lungs, and Ace wheezed, trying to breathe. He struggled wildly, the urge to shift and defend almost overpowering but something –_

_Something was preventing him from doing so. That repulsive aura was pressing in around him, _into him_, stopping him from reaching for the magic that would allow the shift to take place._

_Burning tears stung at his eyes, he was gasping for breath, and Sakazuki's emotionless voice droned in his ear, "Where do you think you're going, half-breeds?"_

* * *

Ace trudged down the dirt path, the rocks digging into the pads of his feet painfully. It irritated him immensely, and he debated shifting back to his normal form.

But the moment he felt Luffy run up to him and jump onto his back, not caring about the wings or the spines, Ace thought better. It would be good to be the same size as Luffy, so they could talk. For however long it was needed.

He stumbled a bit, but didn't shake Luffy off, and proceeded to walk in the direction of the forest. The path they were following was old – it hadn't been used in years, because there were other, more accessible paths in and out of Whitebeard's territory. Not that anyone actually left these days.

Listening to his brother giggling in his ear, the dragon allowed a soft smile to grace his lips. This just felt so… weird. He'd never thought he'd hear his brother's laugh again.

It almost felt like some screwed up dream.

He peered down at the arms wrapped around his neck, and once again Ace noticed the elasticity of his brother's limbs. If they were going to start anywhere – even though all the dragon _really_ wanted to know was how his brother had survived – it was there. "You're a half-blood."

His brother mad an affirmative sound. "Yeah. Came in a few years back. Remember I could always stretch really far, but…" Luffy unhooked his arms, leaning his entire weight against the dragon, and shoved his hands before Ace's eyes.

Ace's nose wrinkled and he almost shoved the hands away so he could see where he was going, but Luffy was already moving them. He grasped one of his fingers and pulled, and Ace was intrigued to see it stretch – beyond abnormal proportions. Luffy released the finger and it snapped back, and he wriggled them in Ace's eyes once more before wrapping his arms around the dragon's neck once again.

"I got stronger!" The pride was clear in Luffy's voice. "Shanks taught me all kinds of magic before he left me with Dadan, and I trained every day before - "

He suddenly cut himself off and grew disturbingly quiet.

There were many things that Ace wanted to ask – most of all, what the hell had happened with Luffy, who the hell this Dadan person was, and also about Shanks. As far as Ace knew, that man was a powerful – if not _the_ most powerful - wizard alive. A nomad who never stays in the same place for more than a set amount of time, either helping or causing havoc, depending on his mood. Ace had met him only once before, when he'd seemingly 'wandered' into the forest and Ace had been sent to retrieve him because Whitebeard had 'wanted to talk' with him.

The wizard had been… strange, for lack of a better term. He was exceptionally young in appearance, his face handsome and scarred, with hair as red as blood. He had been easy going and flirty, and Ace hadn't known what to make of him. He'd escorted the wizard to the Hall and then went on his way, but later on he'd felt the entire mountain range shake with the Old Man's anger.

Marco told him that they'd spoken and drank together, and then something the wizard had said had greatly upset the old man to the point where a fight had begun – it had lasted for only a moment before the wizard appeased the Mountain King's anger and went on his way. Apparently to calm Whitebeard's anger, Shanks had gifted him with a large bottle of extremely rare elven mead.

The only thing Ace managed to gather from it all was that Shanks was strange.

And the dragon wanted to know just how Shanks was connected to Luffy.

But…

Ace did not like the way Luffy's voice had dropped off. It caused an unpleasant feeling to curl within his belly and he had to resist the urge to drag the boy into his arms and smother him in his scent, to confirm that he was alright.

After a few moments, Ace said, "We have a long walk ahead of us. Tell me what happened – from the beginning."

"Then it's your turn?" Luffy questioned. Ace felt his lips move against his neck where skin met scales, and he shivered.

"Yeah." The dragon replied.

"Yosh!" Luffy finally released Ace and slid down his back. "Robin! Do we have any more meat?"

The dragon looked back over his shoulder to peer at his brother and the demon that had been following behind them, his wings now folded tightly against his back. Robin had an indulgent smile on her face when she replied, "I'm afraid not, Luffy. You ate all of our supplies just before we crossed the border."

The half-blood visibly wilted, a pout on his lips. "Aw, I thought Sanji packed a whole lot more…"

Still pouting, Luffy turned back on his heel and trotted up to the dragon. "Ne, Ace – that old guy Whitebeard has a lot of food, doesn't he? Like, lots of meat?"

A grin stretched across Ace's lips – though it was muted. Luffy was stalling, and the dragon didn't want to prod him. But it was refreshing to hear that apparently the kid's love for meat hadn't dwindled at all. "Yes Lu, there's lots of food at the Hall. You can eat as much as you want when we get there."

The boy still looked put out, but he'd brightened up enough to grin. He walked beside Ace, easily able to keep up with his long strides, his eyes darting from side to side, taking in their surroundings – and then settled on Ace.

The dragon caught his eye and raised a questioning brow, but Luffy only grinned at him, eyes alight with happiness. They dragon grinned right back, baring all of his sharp teeth, and Luffy snickered, skipping ahead a few steps.

They were now walking down the last small slop, the forest spread out before them. The path, severely overgrown, disappeared into the dark undergrowth, and Ace grabbed his brother's arm gently, careful not to stick him with his claws.

"Don't go on ahead of me." The dragon warned. "The path is hard to follow, and there are many creatures in this forest that wouldn't mind trying to make you a nice afternoon snack." He glanced behind him at Robin. "That includes demons as well. Though a few creatures may find your foul aura difficult to stomach."

The demon merely gave him a calm smile, her blue eyes like steel. "I can very well take care of myself, great one. As can Luffy. Do not worry yourself over us."

Ace snorted before turning back to face the path. He dragged Luffy beside him once again – so long as he wasn't running ahead, Ace didn't have much cause for worry.

The boy pouted again but remained by the dragon's side, and for a few minutes they walked in silence. Ace couldn't help but find it odd because Luffy had never been quiet, but again he didn't question it. He waited for Luffy to start speaking, and focused on the path.

His presence should be enough to keep the most dangerous of the forest inhabitants away – save for those too stupid to recognise the aura of a dragon. Those were few and far between however, and Ace wasn't too worried. Even still, Ace cast out his senses and allowed his inner fire to flare, allowing it to burn hotly under skin and scale. If anything got too close he'd burn whatever it was to a crisp before it had to chance to realise its mistake.

"Ace…"

The dragon glanced at Luffy out of the corner of his eye. "Hm?"

"I thought you were dead."

Ace's step almost faltered. He looked properly at his brother, lips pressed in a thin line. Once again, there was that dark shadow in Luffy's eyes. _A shadow_ _that had no right to be there. _

Unconsciously, Ace's tail curled around, the furred tip brushing against Luffy's side in a comforting manner; and Luffy grabbed it hugging it close to his chest – just like he used to do when he was a kid.

_I thought you were dead too_.

The dragon heaved out a loud sigh. "… What happened?"

**AN:** Explanations next chapter~


End file.
